I’m mostly caught up with my Crunchyroll backlog now; My thoughts on Goblin Slayer

…With my laptop out of commission, I now use my PS4 to stream Crunchyroll at home and my iPad while on the go. I did alot of binging this week and thanks to that, I have caught up on or finished 8 Anime I started or was watching before my subscription expired over the summer. I already covered My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan in recent posts so I’ll give a rundown on some other Anime I caught up on:

 

• Boruto: It goes without saying the current Team 7 is going through the same thing the previous Team 7 did during the end of Naruto and most of Shippuden: A team member leaves the village and the other two go after him. I imagine this is why Naruto is holding back so much or at least part of the reason. He knows all too well the pain of having a teammate going rogue and then chasing after them for answers. More than likely Naruto is holding out hope Boruto and Sarada can resolve the matter on their own and more so since they’ve crossed into the land of Earth, which has its own problems internally. I liked the fist-pump moment Cho-Cho got before the arc began and more so given how much women and girls worldwide are body-shamed.
• Black Clover. Gonna give props were it’s due, things are getting real interesting. The rest of the Black Bulls getting development is awesome and more so for Finral, Magna, Lucky, Charmy, Vanessa, Noelle and Grey. Yami thinking the same thing well…EVERYONE was thinking regarding Vangeance was awesome. I loved how Fanzell Kruger was introduced and in my book, it set the best model for how to introduce an important character to viewers the characters met before without making it an arc: Spend an episode or three showing how they met, when, where, why and their relevance to the present. Asta meets him first but then Fanzell meets the Black Bulls at a later time. Now they cross paths again to find a way to fix Asta’s arms. They find the solution in the Queen of the Witches, who Fanzell’s fiance Domina and Vanessa both happen to be acquainted with. She reluctantly agrees to fix Asta’s arms to deal with invaders but once the battle is one, Asta learns the price he may have to pay. I kinda knew when Fana was first introduced she was the girl Mars fought when they were kids. With her being revealed to have the Fire Spirit Salamander, we have now seen two of the four elemental spirits (The other being Yuno’s Spirit of Wind). That leaves Earth and Water yet to be revealed.
• Cells at Work!: This series was commended over the summer by a doctor in Japan for accurately portraying one of the sympthoms of Leukemia, which is sudden weight loss. The anime mostly covers how the body deal with bacteria, viruses and other conditions but the 2-part Cancer episode was something else. By the end of it, you couldn’t help but feel bad for the Cancer cell. Yes, your immune system does kill cells that may or are in the early stages of becoming cancer cells. Metastasis is no joke so…yeah. The finale involved the body suffering a head injury and having massive blood loss. A blood transfusion ended up preventing death.
• Overlord: Whew. This year saw ALOT of anime with the RPG genre referenced. Overlord is a hidden gem in my book. The groundwork is laid in Season 3 as Ains reveals himself to the world for the first time as himself and not his alter ego, Momon. He wastes no time asserting his power and dominance, making it clear not even an army can hope to challenge him head on. With the way the season ended, Ains could easily wipe out all the countries and showed it but where’s the fun in that? There’s just something about watching someone look at overwhelming power, know they have no hope of challenging it and hoping it decides not to kill you on the spo that enjoy. Two such moments happen in Season 3 on two separate occasions when two magic users see the depths of his true power.
• How NOT to summon a Demon Lord: The “Fan Service” and “harem” trope was a turn-off for me but not enough to keep me from finishing the series. The door was left open for another season–and honestly I’d like to see another season–but it seemed prettymuch done.
• Kuroko’s Basketball: The Last Game: The one lingering question from the series is what would happen if the Generation of Miracles got together and played on the same team. We find out in the movie The Last Game, which closes the book on the series. The Generation of Miracles comes together to take on a Streetball team from the US. Each member of the legendary squad has their moment in the spotlight, which is no easy task even on paper. They had to make everyone look good while also facing a squad so stacked, they had to work together if they wanted to win. After their thrilling come from behind victory, Kagami reveals he is leaving for the US in preparation for his dream of playing in the NBA. This was clearly set as the end of the series and for the fans. I am hoping out hope we may see a crossover special set several years later involving everyone in the NBA. It certainly would be fun to watch!

 

…Whew. I thought it would take me the rest of the month but I got caught up in a week’s time. I’ve started watching new Anime as well and that includes this one:

 

 

…Whew.

Crunchyroll threw up two giant middle fingers to everyone who believes the groundless lie they censor anime or like to carry “tame anime”. The first episode alone I don’t reccommend watching if you just ate or are eating. Certain scenes in just the first episode are so disturbing, people actually COMPLAINED about not being warned in advance. Even those who read the Manga were shocked at how graphic certain moments in just the first episode were. They didn’t hold back in short.

…It would be fair to say Goblin Slayer is NOT going to make it to Toonami or at least not without being censored. There is an on-screen but brief rape scene, another sequence in which someone is dismembered and the most shocking is the anime’s main character brutally kills young goblins. It’s not like Attack on Titan where kills are over the top or the killing blows happen off-screen or out of focus. You literally see him cave in the skulls of defenseless child goblins after the rest are killed off. They could have just not shown it or changed in for the anime like they did in Akame ga Kill but the fact that they didn’t hold back is surreal. For those who don’t know, they opening sequence of the second episode of of Akame ga Kill was changed. In the Manga, a monster attacks and starts eating a pregnant woman alive. In the Anime, she’s not pregnant. If not for that difference, Akame ga Kill probably wouldn’t have made it to Toonami a few years ago.

Goblin Slayer…definitely not going to Toonami because of the depictions of rape and references to rape in graphic detail alone. “Crunchyroll censors anime” my ass. All they do is license and carry anime for streaming. The most they will do beyond that is the text warning “This program contains scenes some my find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised” and rarely. Case example: The uncut version of Senran Kagura. The difference between the uncut and regular version is nipples are included in the uncut version. Another example: The third to last episode of How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord features a scene in which the main character fingers another character. I was VERY surprised there was no text warning as it was prettymuch a sex act being performed and Crunchyroll does not have a parental filter. On the one hand, every episode has overt sexual innuendos and Fan Service but on the other, that scene took things a bit too far. Sure, “you don’t see anything” but at the same time nothing is left to imagination.

 

The season finale ended with Goblin Slayer revealing his face to everyone–except the viewer, of course–for the first time ever. It’s fairly easy to guess what Goblin Slayer looks like based on the shots of him without his helmet on. There will be a season 2, likely sometime next year!

 

…Anyways in closing. The upcoming year promises to be a very good year for Anime and Crunchyroll overall. Here’s hoping I am able to get stable income so that I can extend my subscription next December. I have already accepted the liklihood I won’t be able to attend Anime Boston for a variety of reasons. Not just because I need income but with other things going on around that time that I’m thinking about. Time will tell.

 

 

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My Hero Academia Season 4 to premeire in October 2019; Live Action Stage Play announced

 

…And to think I just got caught up a few days ago.

Several websites confirmed the next anime season will premeire in October 2019. Season 3 wrapped up on September 29–two days after the movie premeired in theaters. Speaking of. Two breadcrumbs referencing the movie likely indicates the events of the movie will be canon. I assumed after the first one it was just cross-promotion but with the second, it seems the events of Two Heroes might be canon (as in direct references in Season 4) like Dragonball Super’s three movies are. Between the movie, upcoming video game (One’s Justice, PS4 and Xbox One) and upcoming Stage Play it makes sense for the long gap between seasons 3 and 4. Otherwise, a 13-month wait makes no sense.

Season 3 ended everyone from Class 1-A except Bakugo and Todoroki passing the provisional licensing exam. Bakugo also became the first student to learn of about One For All after he and Deku fight. That also marked a turning point in their relationship as Bakugo finally accepts Deku for the first time since the latter inherited One For All from All Might. All Might may be retired as a Hero now–and even he knows it was All for One’s plan from the beginning–both Heroes and Villains are making plans in the aftermath of All Might’s retirement as a Hero.

With the Symbol of Peace and Justice now out of the picture for good, the mantle of top hero falls to the #2, Endeavor (As a reminder, he’s Todoroki’s father). The obvious problem is though Endeavor is obviously powerful, he lacks the charisma of All Might. Deku is clearly not ready yet and with the League of Villains having gained a sample of his blood, Season 4 is sure to be real interesting.

 

 

 

…Again, this is for a Stage Play. NOT a movie. Think live action Visual Novel. Get it? Got it? Good.

Besides, I’d like to think they learned from the Live Action adaptations for Attack on Titan and FullMetal Alchemist. I’m referring to both movies having an all-Asian cast in both films despite the characters having predominantly European names and facial features. MHA is a little different since everyone obviously has a Japanese name despite the mix of Asian and European facial features. I still think an international cast would work best for an actual but that’s just me.

Clearly two different actors play each version of All Might in the Stage Play. For those who don’t know, his “Deflated” form is his real form. His real name is also Yagi Toshinori. After his first battle with All for One, All Might suffered serious injuries that shortened how long he can use his “Muscle” form. After he passed One for All on to Deku, how long he could maintain his muscle form shortened even more until he exhausted the power completely. It would be fair to say it took All Might several years to control the Quirk at full power. It sounds like he was around the same age as Deku when he first received it from his predecessor and also did not have a Quirk himself.

Deku broke his arms using One For All so many times in the relatively short time he’s had it (Reminder: Less than a year has passed) that he was prettymuch forced to adopt his “Shoot-Style” in which he fights using his legs instead of his arms. Even then, Deku can only use One For All at 5% to 8% without having to deal with the recoil afterward (breaking bones prettymuch). All Quirks have a weakness and One For All is no exception. I do see a time skip coming sooner than later in which a few years pass but we’ll see.

I do like the slow pacing for the story so far personally. I actually don’t mind the 13-month break as it beats the alternative: A non-canon or anime-exclusive filler arcs. MHA is one of those anime that is worth the wait!

 

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Attack on Titan set to end in 2019; The story so far

 

…It’s hard to believe it’s only been 5 years since Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin burst onto the scene and became a GLOBAL Phenomenon out the gate. Five years after it began, series creator Hajime Isayama (Also had a part in Death Note) announced over the summer during an interview the iconic series will end next year.

 

He allowed cameras to capture him drawing what will be the final panel of the series:

The dialogue bubble says “You are free.” No context was given, presumably on purpose. The two leading theories from fans are it’s either Eren and his daughter or an unknown pair many years later.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Season 3 of the Anime is taking a 6-month hiatus and will resume in April 2019. The reason given is so that action scenes in the second half of the season can be properly done right but this may be the other reason: To give time for the Manga to wrap up. I have the Manga volumes up to 20 but plan to get the rest up to present once I have income again.

It is worth noting the Live Action movies did use plot elements from the Manga that hadn’t been approached yet. I’m specifically talking about the origins of the Titans and how the world was before the walled kingdom. The timeline including the events of the prequel Before the Fall series seems to be a few hundred years from the present. Researchers develop what we know as the Titan Serum, a special cocktail that will cause the person injected with it into a Titan. The first Titans unleashed on the world wiped out whole nations single-handedly and in fact, 80% of the world’s knowledge was lost shortly afterward.

Most of the world’s survivor erected the walled city and hid from the Titans inside. As we know, there WERE other humans who lived outside but due to the country’s strict control of information and knowledge, those who lived within were ignorant of the world beyond the walls. If anyone knew how to kill a Titan before, that knowledge was lost by the time the Before the Fall series begins. The series takes place 100 years before the start of AoT and the Omni-Directional Movement Gear (ODM Gear for short) is introduced for the first time. The first known successful Titan kill is recorded during that time as well.

Anyone who knows the series knows a Titan’s one weak point is the nape of the neck. Using paring blades with the ODM Gear, humans could now kill Titans by attacking thir weak point. The main series seems pretty straightforward but then a curveball is thrown when it is revealed Eren and other humans have the power to turn into Titans at will. Even worse, there are traitors among them. In ousting the traitors, the Survey Corps becomes aware of a closely guarded conspiracy going back many generations within the government and both Erin and Krista are key.

It’s revealed Krista is really Historia, the illegitimate daughter of the last remaining member of the royal bloodline. To protect her life, her father arranged for her to live under an assumed name but times have changed. In the end, Historia decides to turn on her father and decide her own life on her own terms. She backs the military-led coup de tat and inadvertently ends up cutting down her father after he turns into a gian Titan. This allows the military to present their new Queen to the people as a Hero.

It’s revealed along the way that Mikasa, Levi and he man who raised him named Kenny are all from the Ackerman Clan. Their clan is one of two who are immune to the power of the royal family’s bloodline. By the time AOT begins, the three named people are the only known members of the Ackerman Clan still alive. Mikasa’s mother was a member of the clan but she along with Mikasa’s father were both killed by bandits. She was taken in by the Jaeger family after the incident. Levi was raised and trained by Kenny, who kept their shared heritage a secret out of convenience. Yes, his full name is Levi Ackerman. He had no clue until Kenny told him in the end. With Kenny dead (cue South Park reference lol) that leaves Mikasa and Levi as the sole known members of the Ackerman Clan left alive. The rest were killed off or went into hiding (which Mikasa’s mother did).

I am not up to date on where the story currently is–not yet anyway–but I do plan to own all the volumes of the Manga. I have plenty of space on my bookshelves. I do feel that AOT will be remembered as one of the most engaging anime ever. Its global reach goes without saying. I do remember hearing a few years back that Marvel approached Isayama about doing an AOT crossover. On that note, the spinoff series Attack on Titan Junior High was done with his blessing (Unlike in the US, Fan Fiction is protected in Japan and more so when you have the original author’s permission).

I can say for sure Attack on Titan is on my top 10-all time Anime list. I’m sure it is for alot of folks. It’s certainly one to remember!

 

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I now have Crunchyroll Premium for 12 months!

 

…It took some time and effort but I made the money needed to get it. I made it official yesterday afternoon. I now have Crunchyroll Premium through December 7, 2019. I am already preparing to renew for another 12 months when the time comes.

It goes without saying I have ALOT of Anime to both catch up on and watch since my subscription expired at the end of June. A bit of news and updates on a few Anime I know of so far:

 

• Attack on Titan Season 3 is taking a 6-month hiatus. The (obviously planned) hiatus is to allow time for the action sequences to be done right in the second half of the season. The story up to now ends with Eren, Mikasa and Levi about find out what Eren’s father had stashed in the basement of their home. The leading guess is a truckload of Weed. Season 3 is set to resume Spring 2019.
• Ace Attorney Season 2 covers the events of the third game, Trials and Tribulations. The English Dub for the first season (the events of the first two games) recently became available on Crunchyroll so if you didn’t watch it subbed last year, you can take your pick. The Dub and Sub run as separate episodes just so you know. Some An Anime-exclusive case is currently ongoing. Before that, a flashback episode focusing on Miles Edgeworth makes reference to the spinoff game Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth.
• The Persona 5 Anime is done “for now” though the plan is for the story to be wrapped up in a movie set to be released early next year. I own the game so I know the plot obviously. It’s a question of weather or not said OVA will get released on Crunchyroll. Korosuke’s Basketball got OVAs that focused on just the games so we’ll see. I hope it gets released on Crunchyroll but we’ll have to wait and see.
• My Hero Academia is (wait for it!) taking a break until next year. Unlike Attack on Titan, this time it’s to allow time for the Manga to progress a bit further before they continue the Anime. This should be looked at as good news for MHA fans as this means there probably won’t be Filler Arcs like we saw in other Anime. Advance notice was given before the current storyline began. I assume the release of both the MHA Movie and video game were timed to help keep series fans busy while they wait.

 

That’s some news as I know right now. I understandably stepped away from Anime after my subscription expired over the summer so…yeah. I have been keeping up with new popular anime that has been released since then but first, I want to get caught up what I was watching when my subscription expired. I expect that alone to take at least the rest of the month. Although my laptop is broken, I can still stream Crunchyroll using my PS4 or iPad. I have Viki and AsianCrush on my iPad as well so…yeah. Anywho, I will provide updates as I go along for those who I’m sure missed my updates. As before, I’m sure I’ll do more watching than writing!

Before I forget, I do want to explain AnimeKat’s absence. Her family has been dealing with financial issues for most of this year and understandably she has been focused on that. I can’t give a timeline for when she may return unfortunately but keep her in your thoughts.

 

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